Kaline marvels at Ordonez's skills

DETROIT -- Al Kaline won one batting title and finished second three other times. He watched Harvey Kuenn win a batting title for the Detroit Tigers, and Norm Cash, too.

And then, for 46 years, no Tiger topped the league in hitting.

"A lot of good hitters came through here," Kaline said Tuesday. "But never anybody like that guy."

That guy is Magglio Ordonez, who moved a step closer to the American League batting crown by going 2-for-4 with a double and home run in the Tigers' 8-0 Tuesday night win over Minnesota. With four games remaining on the Tigers' schedule, Ordonez is hitting .359; Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki is second in the majors at .350.

Kaline had 3,007 career hits, but his highest average was .340, when he won the batting title in 1955. Now Ordonez is hitting almost 20 points higher.

"I marvel at that guy," Kaline said. "People don't realize how smart a hitter he is. I look at that probably more than anything else. He makes adjustments from pitch to pitch, and from at-bat to at-bat. For me, as a former player, it's a thing to behold, beautiful to watch, wonderful to watch."

And Ordonez has done it all with a left heel that is so sore the Tigers sent him to have an MRI exam Tuesday afternoon. Ordonez said Tuesday night that the MRI showed no serious damage.

-- With 52 doubles and no triples, Ordonez could end up as just the third player in major-league history with 50 or more doubles in a season where he had no triples. The first two were Edgar Martinez, with Seattle in 1995, and Craig Biggio, with Houston in 1999.

-- Pudge Rodriguez could become just the third player in the live ball era with 500-plus at-bats and fewer than 10 walks. The first two were Virgil Stallcup, with Cincinnati in 1949, and Tito Fuentes, with San Francisco in 1966.

Pudge's last home game? Rodriguez goes into tonight's final home game still uncertain whether he will be back with the Tigers in 2008. The Tigers have a $13 million option which they are likely, but not definitely, to pick up.

"I love the fans here, I love the people and it's a great place to play baseball," Rodriguez said. "If this is the end, I'll leave happy. I have nothing bad to say about the organization or the fans. It's been a good four years that I've been here."

Average and RBIs: Ordonez now has 136 RBIs, a career high and the most by a Tiger since Rocky Colavito drove in 140 in 1961.

Kid makes 3 million: The Tigers selected 10-year-old Charlie Woody of Plymouth as their symbolic 3 millionth fan. Woody was presented with a framed Tigers jersey, and also a 27-game season ticket plan for 2008.

Big draws: While the Tigers can be proud of their first season with 3 million in attendance, the Los Angeles Dodgers drew 3 million again this season, for the 21st time in club history. The New York Yankees had their third consecutive year with 4 million, and their ninth in a row with 3 million-plus.